Guide to Flagstaff, Arizona

venue LoCATION

Flagstaff sits just north of the intersection of Interstates 40 and 17 in northern Arizona, the gateway to the Grand Canyon and Four Corners region, the Navajo and Hopi Nations, and some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet.

DRIVING TIMES TO FLAGSTAFF:

Los Angeles via I-15 to I-40: 7 hrs

Denver via I-25 to I-40: 11 hrs

Salt Lake City via I-15 to I-40: 8 hrs

Albuquerque via I-40: 4.5 hrs

Phoenix via I-17: 2 hrs

FORT TUTHILL

This historic property is just minutes from downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, the gateway to the Grand Canyon and Four Corners region. Fort Tuthill is Coconino County’s fairgrounds, with easy paved access just off Interstate 17 and across from the international airport; buildings and ramadas; organized campground for 1000 units plus adjacent unlimited Coconino National Forest dry camping; and best of all, all-weather access with pine trees throughout. The site also has an adventure ropes course and miles of mountain bike trails. We will run a free shuttle to and from parking and hotels in southern Flagstaff throughout the weekend.

hotels in and around flagstaff

Flagstaff has thousands of hotel rooms, from budget to full spa luxury; we suggest Trip Advisor for accurate reviews and pricing information. TIP: Many hotels are reporting full if you call directly, but we have found if you search via Hotels.com or Kayak.com (or similar), you can find rooms. Here are some of our favorite hotels we've recommended in the past:

COURTYARD MARRIOTT

During past Overland Expo WEST events, we have been able to secure blocks of rooms at a discounted rate for our attendees. Unfortunately, we are not able to do that for 2017 WEST due to limited availability the weekend of the event. Make sure to book early this year and if the hotel is reporting full, try searching via Hotels.com or Kayak.com (or similar) to find rooms.Courtyard Marriot, 650 South Beulah Boulevard, Flagstaff, AZ86001(928-774-5800)

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

During past Overland Expo WEST events, we have been able to secure blocks of rooms at a discounted rate for our attendees. Unfortunately, we are not able to do that for 2017 WEST due to limited availability the weekend of the event. Make sure to book early this year and if the hotel is reporting full, try searching via Hotels.com or Kayak.com (or similar) to find rooms.DoubleTree, 1175 Historic Rte 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928-773-8888)

THE MONTE VISTA

Funky would be the single adjective to label this 86-year-old, 50-room downtown hotel, although down-at-the-heel might do as well—some complacency shows in worn plumbing fixtures and old paint here and there. Still, there’s off-the-street parking, a short walk to everything of interest in downtown, and a fine downstairs bar.Monte Vista, 100 N. San Francisco Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

THE WEATHERFORD

Teddy Roosevelt stayed here. Zane Grey wrote a book here and included it in the plot; his description enabled the new owners to find a fireplace that had been walled over, 80 years afterwards. The Weatherford, built in 1897, still has a few rooms with shared baths if you’d like the full Old West experience, but others with ensuite bathrooms (some boasting clawfoot tubs) are also available. The entire place comprises just 11 rooms, so book early. Downstairs is a good restaurant and a bar; on the third floor is the huge Zane Gray ballroom with a balcony overlooking downtown Flagstaff. Weatherford, 23 N. Leroux Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

LITTLE AMERICA

During our last stay at this sprawling, 240-room hotel on the east end of Flagstaff, we heard at least a half-dozen foreign languages—the place seems to be a magnet for European travelers. It’s also a comfortable place to stay, with enormous rooms that appear to have been furnished from the leavings of some Middle-Eastern oil potentate’s estate—lots of antique-white furniture, gold-framed mirrors, and heavy drapes. Little America, 2515 East Butler Avenue Flagstaff, Arizona 86004

ARIZONA MOUNTAIN INN & CABINS

Boasts “Tudor style” cabins - and a huge hogan that accommodates 16 people. It's the place to go to enjoy nature and the beauty of the great outdoors. It is located on 13-acres of beautiful Ponderosa pines, off of Lake Mary Road. Arizona Mountain Inn & Cabins offers a wide variety of fully-furnished cabins accommodating anywhere from 1 to 16 people. All cabins have wood-burning stoves, porches/decks, BBQ’s and free WiFi. Call early as cabins book up quickly (800) 239-5236. Mention the Overland Expo and get 10% off your cabin rate. Arizona Mountain Inn & Cabins

nearby rv parks

Sorry, but we are not allowing motorhomes / RVs to camp on-site because of the trees and there are no full hook-ups. It’s best to book a real RV park near flagstaff.

RV PARks in the Flagstaff Area:

Woody Mountain, Kit Carson, or check out reviews of various RV Parks and Campgrounds in the area.

OTHER RV PARKS IN THE MORMON LAKE AREA:

Happy Jack – Spots still available with full hookup. They also have cabins for rent.

Coconino National Forest campgrounds and dispersed camping

For those who prefer more solitude, dispersed camping is also allowed in Coconino National Forest. For a detailed guide to regulations and suggested sites, see: Dispersed camping. Nearly the entire forest also has dry dispersed backcountry camping along most Forest Roads. FR 125 and FR 240 would be good bets (free, no permit needed, just comply with all fire regulations and your stay cannot be longer than 2 weeks in any one place)

Food & Places to eat

This international Grand Canyon-gateway town boasts an astonishingly high number of fine restaurants for its size.

MACY’S AND OTHER COFFEE SHOPS

It’s impossible to imagine Flagstaff without Macy’s, the hippie-esque coffee shop on Beaver Street just south of the railroad tracks. It feels like it’s been there forever, although it only opened in 1980. In a town blessed with lots of excellent coffee options, Macy’s is, if not unequalled, certainly unsurpassed. The triple latte is practically breakfast on its own—but don’t cheat yourself of their waffles, biscuits and gravy, or even the homemade granola. If you’re a tea drinker, you’ll find the offerings just as good as the coffee (that is, considering tea’s vast intrinsic inferiority). There’s superb people watching at Macy’s, too: everyone from suited businessmen to buffed bicyclists to ponytailed, VW-Combi-driving Deadheads straight out of the Whole Earth Catalog—the first one. Opens properly at 6:00 a.m. every day.Macy's, 14 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Despite its location in a strip mall, the Campus Coffee Bean is another favorite, with easier parking than Macy’s and more room for larger groups. In addition to breakfast, they offer a full lunch menu. If you think you’re a hard-core coffee drinker, try the Hammerhead—three shots of espresso in a full cup of regular coffee. Also opens at 6:00 a.m. 1800 South Milton Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

CRIOLLO

It’s rare to peruse a restaurant’s dinner menu and exclaim out loud, repeatedly, “Oh wow.” Yet that happens every time we visit this loosely Latin-oriented restaurant on San Francisco Street in downtown Flagstaff. Generally I can look at a menu and decide what I want in 30 seconds flat. At Criollo I painfully reduce my initial selection of five or six possibilities (out of perhaps seven entrée choices) down to four, then three—at which point I usually wring my hands for several minutes. Pathetic.

The good news is, you won’t go wrong with any of them. Everything we’ve had (and during a three-day visit to town we’ve been known to eat dinner there three times) has been sublime. Even such prosaic fare as fajitas achieves transcendency, much less, for example, the Guajillo barbecued duck breast or mojo marinated pork tenderloin. The ingredients are all sourced as locally as possible, including Arizona beef. Finally, unlike many restaurants that do dinner well but fall down on dessert, Criollo keeps up the momentum all the way through. Simply put, we don’t know a better restaurant in the state, counting quality, imagination, service, and price. A mandatory stop. Criollo Latin Kitchen, 16 N. San Francisco Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

THE GALAXY DINER

Imagine the perfect diner to front historic Route 66, and you’ll have the Galaxy nailed. The waitresses don’t ride roller skates, but that’s about the only period trick missing here. And it’s not just a recreation—the Galaxy has been around since the 1950s. Food quality varies (did diners in the 50s really have better?), but there’s plenty of it. On the other hand, the soda fountain creations are all well above average. 931 W. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Diablo Burger

in Heritage Square, serve up outstanding burgers, fries, and brews; meats and many ingredients are entirely local to northern Arizona, and entirely addictive. Arrive hungry.

MICROBREWERIES

Flagstaff had microbreweries before they got chic. There aren’t any bad ones I know of. Beaver Street Brewery (11 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001) is excellent and usually crowded. The new and very large Lumberyard Brewing Company (5 S. San Francisco Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001), just up the tracks, has a similar menu, probably because they're owned by the same family. For a more neighborhood-bar experience, the Flagstaff Brewing Company (16 E. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001), opened in 1994 in a 19th-century building right off Highway 66, is our low-key favorite and also the place to sample High Spirits' amazing single malt, Arizona whisky (finished in mesquite-smoked barrels). Despite my historical fascination with India Pale Ale I’m a little weary of the current mania for hops, hops, and more hops in American microbrews, but there’s a broad selection of alternatives here. Good pub food as well, and, at least the last time we were there, absolutely dynamite music. Muddy Waters was on when we left. The menu says it all: “Beer like your mom used to make.”

There are several other micro-breweries, and loads of steak houses, Spanish, Asian, Mexican, Italian, and much more. Trip Advisor is also a good resource.

WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO AROUND FLAGSTAFF?

Besides the hundreds of miles of Forest Service trails that start right across the road from the lodge?

To start with there’s a sizeable hole in the ground just north of Flagstaff. A backcountry tour of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is a bucket-list-level overland journey, and we can point you to spots overlooking the gorge where the only other people you might see will be fellow Overland Expo attendees on the same quest.